Police told the owners of the stores, specializing in Arabic and English books on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the history of Jerusalem, that they were suspected of disturbing public order. Their lawyer says police likely pivoted once they realized they would not get approval for incitement charges
Israel Police raided two iconic bookstores in East Jerusalem on Sunday, alleging that the books sold there were inciteful, but then arrested the owners on suspicion of disturbing the peace.
After seizing the books and arresting the store owners, the police decided to change the charge from incitement to suspicion of disturbing public order, leaving the owners in custody until the morning. They will be brought to court on Monday morning for a hearing as the police request an eight-day extension of their detention.
The police obtained a search warrant for the stores from Jerusalem Magistrate Court Judge Chavi Tucker, and Judge Gad Arenberg approved a one-day extension of detention.
The Educational Bookshop chain is the most well-known bookstore chain in East Jerusalem, with three locations on Salah al-Din Street and in the American Colony Hotel complex. The stores specialize in Arabic and English books on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the history of Jerusalem, and they are well-known to researchers, diplomats, journalists and tourists.
On Sunday afternoon, Israeli police officers raided the stores on Salah al-Din Street, searched the premises, examined the books for an extended period, confiscated dozens of books from both stores and arrested the owners, Mahmoud Muna and his nephew, Ahmad Muna, both well-known figures in East Jerusalem. The officers presented a search warrant signed four days ago by Judge Tucker.
“They used Google Translate on the books, and anything they didn’t like, they took,” said Mourad Muna, Mahmoud’s brother. “They even found a Haaretz newspaper with a picture of the hostages and asked what it was, saying it was incitement. They took every book with a Palestinian flag on it.”
The owner of the shop, Imad Muna, told DPA that “Apparently, someone complained about the contents of the books.”
Most of the books – except around 10 titles – have been returned by the police.
Attorney Nasser Odeh, who represents the owners, stated that during their interrogation, they were told they were suspected of disturbing public order, not incitement.
“To open an incitement investigation, the police need approval from the prosecution. It seems they realized they had no chance of getting that approval, so they switched the charge to the more generic ‘disturbing public order’ offense. I have never encountered a case where someone is held in custody overnight for suspicion of disturbing public order,” said Odeh.
The Israel Police said of the incident in a statement: “[Police investigators] began various investigative operations, in which they were exposed to many books containing content of incitement with nationalistic Palestinian characteristics, including a children’s coloring book titled ‘From the River to the Sea.'”
“The Israel Police will continue acting against incitement and support of terror, while maximizing abilities and means… alongside the tracking and arrest of those involved [in such activities] and in offenses meaning to harm citizens of Israel.”
Following the arrest, protesters gathered outside the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court to demonstrate against the arrest of the bookshop’s owners.
Diplomatic representatives from the Netherlands, the U.K., Belgium, Brazil, France, Switzerland, Ireland, Sweden and the EU all visited the courthouse in Jerusalem where the hearing is due to take place, to show support for the bookshop owners.
Steffen Seibert, German Ambassador to Israel, wrote on social media that he is “concerned to hear of the raid and detention [of the owners] in prison.”
“I, like many diplomats, enjoy browsing for books at Educational Bookshop. I know its owners, the Muna family, to be peace-loving proud Palestinian Jerusalemites, open for discussion and intellectual exchange,” he said.
- Photo: One of the East Jerusalem bookstores raided by Israeli police on Sunday.